Todd Shapiro opens eatery that shall be like Arduous Rock Cafe of Albany politics

Albany is set to get its personal “Arduous Rock Cafe” for state politics.

An established public family members govt is opening a brand new memorabilia-filled eating place that he hopes will ship Albany out of its “sleepy” post-pandemic droop via attracting the capital’s energy hungry movers and shakers.  

Todd Shapiro, an established politico who served as a former spokesman for Ivana Trump and State Democratic Chairman Jay Jacobs, plans to open the “Battle Room Tavern” – which shall be section eatery, unique membership and cigar living room.

“I need to carry again the magic Albany used to have. I need to create an environment to carry again downtown,” he advised The Put up. “There’s no position for an influence lunch. I need to create the ability lunch spot.”

The eatery — which is able to open on New 12 months’s Eve — is about to be stuffed with artifacts and state politics curios, like a type of “Arduous Rock Cafe” or “Planet Hollywood” of pols. However as a substitute of Schwarzenegger’s exercise blouse, it’ll have memorabilia from previous governors, mayors and different electeds.

The artifacts on show come with previous vote casting machines, a Mayor’s jacket donated via Rudy Giuliani and disgraced ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s former cigar locker.

The menu, in the meantime, shall be encouraged via Mayor Eric Adams’ semi-vegan nutrition. 

Shapiro hopes the “Battle Room” will turn out to be Albany’s it spot for energy eating, filling a void left via the hot closures of alternative capital eateries, such because the famed Jack’s Oyster Space.

“Albany was a a laugh and loopy position to head out. It’s now tricky to get a meal or have a overdue evening drink once you have out of the legislative consultation,” he stated.

Shapiro purchased two, facet via facet 4 tale constructions at 40 and 42 Eagle Side road this previous June. 

One development has a flooring ground bar, a cafe/sushi bar and personal contributors solely membership – for which he plans to price a $5,000 annual club.

The opposite facet is a three-story cigar living room he desires to “resemble the Grand Havana Room in New York Town that closed down.”

It’s named after a well-known room in on the second one ground of the State Capitol Construction dubbed the “Battle Room” depicting New York’s involvement in well-known battles.

For the reason that summer time, he’s accrued an collection of political paraphernalia together with: a lieutenant governor’s chair from 1955, a 1939 election vote casting system and 100s of footage of political varieties from Invoice Clinton to Gov. Nelson Rockefeller and previous Large Apple Mayor Jimmy Walker. 

“It turns into bleak and dismal and I sought after to open a spot and make a 0 Bond-like membership – Albany lacks evening golf equipment and a non-public social membership,” stated Shapiro, referencing the members-only membership in Long island continuously frequented via his good friend, Mayor Adams.

He stated Adams, state AG Letitia James and Gov. George Pataki have already been to the membership in contemporary weeks.

“Probably the most issues we need to recover from is Democrats and Republicans now not speaking to one another. It’s an excellent factor for Albany to lend a hand politicians to understand that they’re now not separate species. There’s no reason why they are able to’t get alongside,” Pataki advised The Put up.

Shapiro, 57, has labored in native executive and the political international for upwards of 30 years. 

He’s the CEO of his personal corporate, Todd Shapiro Mates Public Family members, and has represented an extended listing of shoppers together with the Trump Group, former Large Apple Mayor Rudy Giuliani and outgoing Higher East Facet Democratic Rep. Carolyn Maloney.

He at this time reps ex-child actor and crypto billionaire Brock Pierce, grocery retailer wealthy person and host/proprietor of WABC radio John Catsimatidis, the FDNY-Uniformed Hearth Officials Affiliation/Uniformed FIrefighters Affiliation and the Nassau and Suffolk County police PBAs.

“There’s 3 issues I like in existence: I like politics. I like sushi. I like cigars,” he advised The Put up.

“I’ve the most productive process on the planet. Do the stuff you do on a regular basis and you like and also you’ll have the best profession on the planet.”

In the meantime, Shapiro’s Adams-inspired menu pieces come with a “Badass” vegan-seer potato soup, roasted vegetable lasagna, black bean tacos and pasta with charred tomatoes and white wine sauce. 

He’s additionally accrued recipes for liked dishes of former and present pols: the Cuomo familie’s lasagna, AG James’ favourite chai latte or even Gov. Kathy Hochul has promised him her Buffalo hen wing recipe. 

Opening evening is that this New 12 months’s Eve, however Shapiro stated he’s additionally making plans a gap bash between the legislative consultation’s respectable get started on Jan. 4 and Hochul’s State of the State cope with on Jan. 10.